Last-Minute Campaigning Comes To A Close For Election Day

Five stories that have North Texas talking: Texans head to the polls to cast their vote for several big ticket items, have an umbrella handy today, what Dallasites think of their city, and more.

Texans will head to the polls today to pick a new roster of state leaders. The two candidates for governor, Republican Greg Abbott and Democrat Wendy Davis, have been campaigning until the last minute. KERA’s Shelley Kofler has that story.

There are other major races and votes to keep an eye on today. Voters in Dallas County will choose whether to keep Democrat Craig Watkins as their District Attorney or choose his challenger, Republican Susan Hawke. Wendy Davis’ senate seat is up for grabs in Tarrant County, there’s a vote in the city of Denton to potentially ban fracking and let’s not forget the race for Texas lieutenant governor.

Catch up on our previous election coverage, find your nearest polling place, and cast your vote. Polls close at 7 p.m. Look for our election live blog at keranews.org later today for local results and listen to live election coverage tonight on KERA 90.1 FM.

Don’t forget to bring an umbrella to the polls. A cold front is swooping in, bringing temperatures down into the low 50s and 60s across most of North Texas for the day and dipping into the 40s tonight. There will be a 100 percent chance of rain for most of the region as well, the National Weather Service reports.

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A conservative radio and TV talk show host cancelled an appearance at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth over the school’s gun policy.WFAA reports Dana Loesch, who recently wrote the book “Hands Off My Gun,” felt uncomfortable that the school was a gun-free campus. She says the school was not able to provide her with necessary security in exchange for not carrying her firearm to the campus. Caleb Chappell, president of TCU’s College Republicans, told the network he understood her decision, but felt an agreement could have been worked out. "She had an event a few weeks ago when a man got aggressive, punched a sign," Chappell said. "I understand why she would cancel; everyone's safety is a top priority."

McKinney High School voted in its first gay homecoming queen last month, and D Magazine sat down with her to talk about the reaction since being crowned. April Swartz-Larson says there’s been “next to no negative reaction” at her school – the only negative comments she received was from random commenters after the story caught the attention of local media. “People my age don’t feel it to be an issue,” she said.

Dallasites love the shopping, but loathe the state of the city’s schools and streets. That’s according to the city’s annual Community Survey Findings. 1,523 people filled out the seven-page survey, giving their thoughts on how Dallas stacks up as a place to live, work, retire and more. The Dallas Morning News reports the city council’s meeting tomorrow will address the survey’s results.

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